1.1 U.S. Patents
Patent NumberKind CodeIssue DatePatentee782,312B11905 Feb. 14Zehden6,215,260B12001 Apr. 10Hinds5,503,083B11969 Oct. 07Powell6,182,576B12001 Feb. 06Svensson4,900,992B11990 Feb. 13SekizawaRE32543E1987 Nov. 10Williamson1.2 U.S. Patent Application Publications
Publication Nr.Kind CodePubl. DateApplicant20090249973A12009 Jun. 15Wamble1.3 Nonpatent Literature Documents    Boon-Teck, Ooi, IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, “Traction and Normal Forces in the Linear Induction Motor” (January 2007)    Johnson, Andrew P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D. thesis, Departments of Ocean Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, “High speed linear induction motor efficiency optimization” (2005)1.4 Background NarrativeZehden, Wamble, Powell and Svensson describe linear induction drives that cooperate with vehicles to produce forward drive. In all of these instances vehicles are constrained to a particular single axis alignment with induction elements.
Hinds describes drives capable of impelling vehicles in forward and lateral directions. Wamble and Powell describe vehicles that may operate on battery power or power transmitted from a roadway. Boon-Teck describes means of acting on vehicles with levitation and forward forces.
Several additional capabilities associated with linear induction drives for vehicles are described in the prior art, including; 1) efficient regenerative braking with electric motor driven, wheels as described for example by Sekizawa, 2) efficient regenerative braking on linear roadway as described for example by Williamson, 3) charging vehicle battery while vehicle is moving on roadway as described for example by Carkner, 4) exchange of guidance and control information between vehicle and central integrated control systems as described for example by Ozden and 5) transfer of moving vehicle to and from roadway as described for example by Campbell. However, nowhere in the prior art does any inventor or author describe a plurality of said additional capabilities operating in combination with a linear induction drive transportation system in which a single roadway configuration is induced to simultaneously exert forward, lateral, levitation and three axis angular alignment forces on a vehicle. Neither does the prior art describe a vehicle capable of inducing roadway surface currents that produce said forces in said roadway surface in combination with a plurality of said additional capabilities. Persons with ordinary skill in the art routinely plan, highways and roads to minimize travel delays. However, the prior art does not describe a comprehensive system designed to sustain traffic flow from the point of entering the infrastructure to the moment of disembarking in a parking facility such that mean time between system failure in a metropolitan area is greater than one thousand hours. System failure in this instance is defined as any roadway incident that results in travel time more than double the planned duration for re-routed vehicles. Johnson provides detailed design criteria for a system using linear induction motor to launch aircraft. However, prior art does not describe integration of air travel based on linear induction drive within a transportation infrastructure where stop and wait delays during travel to airport, parking, ticketing, luggage transfer, passenger loading, passenger unloading and ground transportation to final destination do not occur. Neither does prior art contemplate passenger aircraft accelerated using linear induction drives to a velocity of up to 4,000 meters per second or elimination of aircraft fuel burning except for airport approach and landing. Additional art not previously described is extension of linear induction drive aircraft launch methods to 9,000 meters per second spacecraft launch.